Massive Lisbon Metro expansion scheduled for 2020

Work will begin in the second half of the year, following numerous delays

Massive Lisbon Metro expansion is scheduled for 2020. Back in 2018, the government of Portugal had already envisioned a big upgrade to the public transport services in the country’s largest cities – including Lisbon and Porto.

Improvements in Lisbon

Commitments to improving their respective public transport networks were made in the Portuguese state budget for the year 2019, which previewed 210 million euros to the expansion of the capital’s subway.

Yet, following numerous delays and failures to begin construction and expansion of the Lisbon Metro, the date was pushed back to 2020 – more specifically to the second half of the year. Over one year after the initial commitment, the Lisbon Metropolitan will finally boast a massive upgrade.

The first part of the investment will be delivered in the 2^nd half of next year and will include an amount of up to 46 million euros. The main goal of the works is to connect Rato to Cais do Sodré, which in and of itself would significantly improve the quality of the entire service.

The Lisbon subway network will also be purchasing new vehicles for its fleet, through a 20-million-euro investment and will also be implementing a new signalling system, costing 137 million euros.

Improvements in Porto

Meanwhile, in Porto, a brand new line will be created to service locals. The investment for its creation is estimated at around 308 million euros. Over the course of 2020 75 million will be allocated for the initial stages of the construction. The new Rosa line will boast 7 new stations along its six-kilometre route.

Furthermore, the local government of Porto will be purchasing brand new vehicles for the city’s subway network. Authorities are planning to allocate a total of 824 million euros for new acquisitions, representing the biggest investment in such initiatives in more than 20 years.